Leg rests



P 2, 1958 i J. P. DiLLON 7 2,850,081

LEG RESTS Filed March 1, 1957 4 'INVENTOR JOHN P. DILLON ATTORNEY United States Patent O g LEG RESTS John P. Dillon, Tamaqua, Pa.

Application March 1, 1957, Serial No. 643,339

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-169) This invention relates to improvements in leg rests as such term has come to mean an article of furniture in the form of an upholstered or overstuffed foot stool used 1fior supporting the foot or leg of a sitting person above the oor. I

A main object of the invention is the provision of a leg rest of simple construction and attractive appearance, and which in use is capable of effectively supporting the leg of a sitting person at a selected inclination best suited to his or her individual taste or comfort.

More particularly, the invention contemplates and provides, in a leg rest which is adjustable as to inclination; an improved and simplified yet highly effective means for adjusting the inclination of said leg rest.

The above and other objects and advantages of a leg rest as herein proposed will appear from the following detailed description thereof, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred form thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved leg rest in its normal or lowered position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the leg rest in one of its inclined positions;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken generally on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the dotted lines indicating an inclined position thereof which is somewhat different from that shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the foot rest on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

A leg and/ or foot rest according to the present invention comprises two main parts, namely, an inverted hollow stool body 10 of box-like construction adaptednormally to rest on its open-bottom edge, and a stool-body inclining member generally designated by the reference numeral 12. Illustratively, the. stool bodyhas a closed-top wall 14, a pair of parallel side walls 15, 16, and a pair of end walls 17, 18. While the dimensions thereof may vary within reasonable limits, a stool body having width approximately 16", length 20 and height 8" when fully lowered has been used successfully for purposes of the invention. a i

As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, -the stool inclining member 12 is preferably of U-construction having side walls 20, 21, and a front-end cross wall 22, a cross brace 23 extending between the rear or free ends of said side walls 20, 21 being also provided. By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the vertical height of the inclining member 12 is only slightly less than the vertical dimension of the hollow interior of the stool member 10, and Fig. 4 shows that the side walls 20, 21 of said inclining member are spaced apart a distance such that they are closely adjacent the corresponding side walls 15, 16 of the stool body. However, as seen in Fig. 3, the front-end cross wall 22 of the inclining member 20 is set back a substantial distance from the corresponding front wall 17 of the stool body, so as to form an interior cross chamber forwardly of said inclining member. Said front-end cross wall may also slope towards the corres- Patented Sept. 2, 1958 According to the invention, the inclining'member 20 is pivotally connected to the stool body 10 for lowering movement with respect thereto through the open bottom of the latter as by a cross pin 25 which, as seen in Fig. 3, extends through the free or'rearward ends of the side walls 20, 21 of the inclining member and has its ends journaled in the corresponding side walls 15, 16 of the stool body. Also, it is a feature of the invention that the inclining member 20 is spring-biased to move downwardly through the bottom of the stool member as by spring means generally designated 30, thereby effectively to elevate and incline said stool member, and further that said inclining member may be secured in any one of a plurality of angular positions to which it has been actuated by said spring means against the bias thereof, as by securing means generally designated 32.

As best seen in Fig. 3, said spring means 30 comprises a leaf spring preferably composed of a plurality of individual spring leaves and it is secured at one end to the under side of the closed top 14 of the stool body in position such that its free end extends forwardly on the center line of the stool body and bears on the upper edge of the front-end cross wall 22 of the inclining member. By securing as with spaced bolts 33 the end of the spring against an inclined spring-seating block 34, the spring is caused tohave a substantial inclination in downward direction and accordingly it isbowed upwardly when the inclining member 20 is held in its normal housed position, as in Fig. 3, such bowing of the spring causing it to store energy. To insure against any undesired lateral movement of the free end of the spring, the top edge of the front-end cross wall 22'against which it bears is provided with a spring-seating notch 36 whose side edges prevent any side play of the spring.

As seen in Fig. 3, the aforesaid securing means 32 is substantially contained within the cross space between the front end cross wall 22 of the inclining member 20 and the corresponding end wall 17 of the stool body. Preferably, such means comprises-a rock shaft 40 extending between and journaled in the side walls 15, 16 of the stool body, to which is secured one or more pawls 42 (two such pawls being illustrated) of reverse L-formation. It will be observed that the upright leg of each L-shaped pawl 42 is secured to the rock shaft 40 at substantially its mid point whereby an appreciable length of said leg extends above the rock shaft as a lever arm. A tension spring 44 connects the upper end of the pawl leg to a fixed point on the 'front end wall 17 of the stool body and thus applies a yielding force to the rock shaft, tending to turn it disposition of the pawl 42, its horizontal leg, which constitutes the nose-engaging end of the pawl, is directed rearwardly whereby it tends to engage against the forward front face of the front-end cross wall 22 of the inclining member 20. To make use of this engagement, said front wall is provided with a vertical series of recesses or holes 46 disposed in vertical alignment with the pawl 40, with the result that a pawl nose is adapted to engage in the particular one of said recesses in which it is fitted, thereby to secure the inclining member 20 in a corresponding angular position.

To disengage a pawl 42 from a recess 46, it is only necessary to rock the shaft 40 in clockwise direction, since such angular movement will effect withdrawal of the pawl nose from the particular recess in which it is fitted as aforesaid. This clockwise movement of the rock shaft can be simply applied as by means of a hand knob 50 disposed externally of the stool body as shown and which is affixed to one extended end of the rock shaft. Illustratively, three recesses 46 are provided in each vertical series thereof, and knob 50 may be provided with a pointer 52 with which is associated scale-like markings 54 to indicate in which-of the three recesses the pawl nose is fitted. In the event that more or less than three recesses 46 are provided in the vertical series thereof,-the number of markings 54 will be varied accordingly.

To enhance the appearance of the-leg rest, it ispreferably covered with upholstery material and some overstutfing may also be supplied between the closed top 14 of the stool body and the upholstery material, thus to provide the foot or leg with a soft supporting surface.

If desired or considered necessary, a metallic face plate 1 56 may be provided on the front face of the cross wall 22 of the inclining member 20, it being understood that the face plate will be provided with apertures opening to the pawl-nose recesses 46.

While the operation and manner of use of a leg rest as described will doubtless be clear from the above, it will be briefly explained as follows:- position of the leg rest, the inclining member is secured in fully housed position within the hollow interior of the stool body by engagement of the pawl nose in the lowest of the recesses 46. In this position the stool body rests on its bottom edge and it will also be observed that the top of said stool body is horizontal or flat. To incline the stool body, it is only necessary to grasp the hand knob 50 and turn it slightly in clockwise direction. As explained, such effects withdrawal of the nose of the pawl 42 from the lowest recess 46, whereupon the inclining member 26 is actuated downwardly through the open bottom of the stool body under the stored-up energy in the spring 30, whereupon the stool now rests on the bottom edge of the inclining member, which, in the downward position of the latter, is inclined to the closed top 14 of the stool member. Accordingly, the latter is now in an inclined rather than a horizontal position. The amount of inclination of the stool member may be adjusted by fitting the nose of the pawl 42 in any one of the vertically arranged apertures 46. In this connection, it is noted that the spring force capable of being exerted by the spring 30 is sufliciently great as to project the in clining member downwardly an amount corresponding to the unbowing of said spring and which corresponds to the nose of the pawl 42 seating in the highest recess 46. If this inclination proves too great, it can be decreased in steps simply by pressing down on the top surface of the stool body, meanwhile adjusting the knob 50 to an angular position corresponding to the desired inclination of said stool body.

It will be appreciated that a leg rest as described and illustrated satisfies the objectives of the invention as explained in the foregoing. However, as many changes can be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

I. A leg rest for supporting the leg and/or foot of a In the normal.

sitting person raised from the floor comprising, in combination, an inverted hollow stool body of generally boxlike construction adapted normally to rest on its openbottom edge and having a closed top wall and spaced side and end walls, and means for inclining said stool body comprising a U-member housed within the stool body and having spaced side walls disposed inwardly of and closely adjacent the side walls of the stool body and an end wall corresponding generally to but spaced substantially from an end wall of said stool body, a cross pin pivotally connecting the U-member to the stool body for swinging movement downwardly thereof through the open bottom of said stool body whereupon the stool body rests on the bottom edge of said U-member rather than on its own bottom edge, said pin extending through the end portions of the U-member side walls opposite to its end wall, spring means reactive between the under side of the top wall of the stool member and the end wall of said U-member and biasing the'latter to swing downwardly of the stool body as aforesaid, and means contained in the space between said U-member end wall and the corresponding end wall of the stool body for securing the U-member in a selected one of a plurality ofpositions to which it has been swung by the spring means against the bias thereof.

2. A leg rest substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a leaf spring having one end anchored to said top wall in position such that its other end inclines downwardly therefrom and bears on the top edge of the U-memberend wall, the height of said U-member end wall being such as, when said U- member is fully housed within said stool body, to impart a substantial bowing to the inclined leaf spring.

3. A leg rest substantially as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for securing the U-member as aforesaid comprises a rock shaftextending transversely between the side walls of the stool body in the space between the U-member end Wall and the corresponding end wall of said stool body, a pawl affixed to and depending from the rock shaft for rocking movement therewith, said pawl terminating in a pin-like end offset in the direction of said U-mernber end wall, a vertical series of holes in said U-member end wall disposed in alignment with said pawl end, spring means normally biasing said rock shaft to an angular position in which the pawl end seats in a selected one of said holes and thereby secures the U-member against further downward movement, and manual means for rocking the rock shaft in the opposite direction thereby releasing the U-member for downward movement as desired.

4. A leg rest substantially as set forth in claim 3, wherein said manual means comprise a hand-turnable member which is aflixed to said rock shaft and is disposed substantially upwardly of said stool body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,474,814 Billet et al. July 5, 1949 2,566,498 Revercomb Sept. 4, 1951 2,577,741 Creveling et al Dec. 11, 1951 2,659,414 Hoar Nov. 17, 1953 

